Game



Waag

GAME

w. A. DUBAY Filed oct. 18, 194s4 Dec. 3l, 1946.

Patented Dec. 31, 1946 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAME William A. Dubay, Cleveland, Ohio Application October 18, 1943, Serial No. 506,659

This invention relates to games, particularly to games which may be placed on a board by moving pieces thereon.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved game'which will be extremely interesting to players. v

Another object is to provide an improved game which will develop the players perception and analysis.

Another object is to provide an improved game which will differ in many respects from those played heretofore.

Another object is to provide an improved game which will be neat and attractive in appearance..

Another object is to provide an improved game which may be easily and economically produced.I

Other objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention will be better understood from the description of one practical embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawlng, in which the gure is a perspective plan view of a game board arranged for playing one version of the game, certain playing pieces placed thereon, and some of the types of play indicated by reference to spaces marked with reference numerals.

The game which is illustrated is one which I vhave denominated Screwball Checkers or Reverse, in that, in a degree, the board and play suggest those of the game of checkers, not so much through similarity as because of differences therefrom.

As clearly illustrated, the fieldv of the game board l is divided into a plurality of squares,

`these being shown as of two sizes and four colors.

The large squares 2 are shown as twice the length to a side of each of the small squares 3, and are so arranged longitudinally of the board, or

from the direction of a player on one side towardV the player on the other, that a plurality of delinite columns or longitudinal rows are formed, these being shown as six in number, but transversely of the b-oard the squares are in such staggered relation that there is no continuous transverse rowthroughout its extent.

In each longitudinal column are alternated one large square, then two small squares side by side, then another large square, et cetera, across the board. To bring the board within a rectangular border, certain of the large squares 4 are cut in half, and it will be noted that each large square (excepting those which are bordered on one or two sides by the margin of the board) has its periphery coincident with parts of the peripheries 6 Claims. (Cl. 273-131) oi six small squares and tWo other large squares, while each of the smaller squares (not adjacent a border) has its periphery bounded by three large squares and one small square.

Each large square, besides .contacting side surfaces of two other large squares, has twol corners constituting opposite angles of two corners of two more adjacent large squares.

Each small square has one corner forming an opposite angle of an adjacent corner of another small square.

Four types of pieces are provided for the players, two for each, and, in keeping with the designation which I have selected for the game, the pieces 5 and 6 of one player may be made to simulate screws and the pieces l and 8 of the other player to simulate balls. Each player has a plurality of large pieces and small pieces, one type of which maymove upon the small squares and the other type upon the large squares. It will be understood that the pieces are moved manually by the players from square to square, and do not roll from one square to the other. For this reason, each piece has a flat or concave bottom which is supported on the board and which maintains the piece, when resting on the board, in stable equilibrium.

Also in keeping with the name of the game, Iprefer to have the large pieces 5 and 'l move on the small squares and the small pieces 6 and 8 move on the large squares, although, of course, it will be apparent that the game could be played by reversing this procedure.

The game is played as follows:

Its object is to finish up with the least number of pieces on the boardl and each player starts with a small num-ber of pieces which is augmented as the play progresses.

In the example illustrated, using a board hav-v ing 26 large squares and 48 small squares, I provide each player with'18 large pieces and six smallones. It will be understood that the elongated spaces, such as indicated at 4, are, as pointed out previously, large squares which would protrude beyond the bounding rectangle of the playing board, the outer half of which has been omitted for symmetry in outline, but that these half squares are used precisely the same as the large squares l0 in the play.

At the start of play, he places four large and two small ones on the space bordering the margin remote from him, and moves the pieces toward him instead of away from him.

It will be understood that each half of a large space which is situated along a marginal edge ad- 3 jacent a player is regarded for al1 purposes of play as a whole large space.

The players take turns in moving their pieces, and any piece may move one square forward in any direction, always, however, remaining on squares of its proper size, that is keeping the large pieces on the small squares and the small ones on the large squares, or it may move sidewise toward the center of the board, but may not move away from the center or backward.

A piece attacks an opponents piece by being in a square from which it might move into the square occupied by the opponents piece, if that piece were not there, it being understood that at no time can two pieces occupy the same square.

When a piece is attacked, insteadof being removed from the board, the attacking player places one of the opponents pieces on a nonoccupied space, the piece corresponding to .the one of the type attacked. That is, if it is a large screw that is attacked, another large screw must be put upon the board. It will be put on the starting row if an appropriate space is vacant, otherwise as near this. row as possible.

rLarge andsmall piecescan attack one another, although they couldnotthemselves actually move onto the squares occupied by the` attacked pieces. As, for example, a large screw on square 9 can attack a large ball on ,square l0 or one on square Il, or can attack a small ball on any of squares l2, I3 or I4. A large screw on square l5 can attack a large ball on square i6, or a small ball on large squares l'! audit. If the large screw be moved to square I5 it can attack a large ball on square i9 or a small ball on squares I8 or 2E.

If an attacking piece reaches the extreme border of the board, it is considered dead and may be removed. Also, if it moves into a position where it cannot move further, it is considered dead and removed from the board. Pieces so removed are put aside and cannot be returned to the board as a penalty for a successful attack by the opposing player.

Any piece may be attacked any number of times.

As above indicated, the players take turns in moving their pieces, but every time the opposing player succeeds in attacking an opponents piece,

he is entitled to another move and may keep on as E long as he is capable of attacking.

The game is vfinished when all the available pieces of one player are on vthe boardand when this happens, of course, the other player has won.

VWhile described as played by two players only,

lli;

4 cations and variations coming within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A game comprising a game board having a playing surface divided into squares of a plu.- rality of sizes, each square having a portion of its border coincident with at least one square of the same size and at least one square of a different size, and a plurality of sets of playing pieces, each including pieces differentiated for use upon squares of different sizes, each piece having a surface adapted to engage and be supported by the board maintaining the piece in stable equilibrium.

2. A game comprising a game board having a rectangular playing surface divided into a plurality of rows, each of which includes alternate large and small squares, the Squares of the adjacent rows being staggered, and two sets of playing pieces, each consisting of two difieren-` tiated types of pieces, each piece having a surface adapted to engage and be supported by the board maintaining the piece in stable equilibrium.

3. A game comprising a game board having a rectangular playing surface dividedinto a Vplurality of rows, each of which includesalternate large and -pairsof ysmall squares, the squares. of the adjacentrows being ,staggeredso vthat the pairs of small squares in adjacent rowsare out of alignment, ,and two sets .of playing pieces, each consisting of two differentiated types of pieces, each piece having a surface adapted to engage and besupportedby theboard maintaining-the piecein ,stable equilibrium.

4. A, game comprisingva gameboard having a g rectangular playing vsurface divided into a plurality of rows, eaclicf Ywhichincludesalternate large land-.small squares, the squaresof the. adjacent 'rows being staggered soy that the side of .a1-large squareis coincident :with `half of the vside ci another large square'in the Aadjacent row and with onegentireside of a small square in said adjacent row, vand two sets .of playing pieces, each consisting vof two r,differentiated types of pieces, each piece having a ysurface adapted to engage and be supported by the board maintainf ingthepiece instable equilibrium.

f5. A game -board comprising a playing surface divided into-a plurality of rows, eac-hrow having a series of squares the fuil Width ofthe row, thesesquares .being spaced apart and the.- spaces between them filled with pairs ci squares the ,sides of which are one. half the width of the row. 6. :A'ga-me'board comprising a playing surface divided into a plurality of rows, eachrow having a. series of squares the full width of the row; these square'sbeing spaced apart and the spaces betweenithem filled with pairs of squaresl the sides of which-are one half the width of therrow, the squares of successive rows being staggered so ythat the smaller squares of one row each have a side coincident with a part of a side of a larger Asquarein the adjacentirow. I

" iWM. A. DUBAY. 

